Watching Waiting
by KellyAnnie
Summary: Chase keeps watching Cameron, who keeps watching House, who watches Chase to be sure he doesn't watch Cameron too closely. It's an angry, tangled web... But Chase is pretty sure he can make it out unscathed. ChaseCam.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I definitely don't own them or make any money off of them. It's sad, I know... But I don't.

**Author's Notes:** I owe a HUGE thanks to my beta, Tasha. She rocks socks off. This is my first attempt at Chase/Cameron, and I'm doing it as a response to a challenge from (ironically enough) Tasha. I hope everyone enjoys it. I've worked very hard on it!

**Chapter One**

Chase hated seeing Cameron like this: pining away for a man that would never love her. It was ridiculous how she fawned over him. She went through his mail for him, did his charting for him, got him his fucking _coffee_ in the morning. Could she be any more obvious? It was almost disturbing. He wondered if she had some sort of Electra complex: do your daddy-figure. As he watched her, he chewed on a pencil.

Why did she want House so badly? Maybe she thought that she could heal him or something. Seemed like a Cameron thing to think, anyway. That or she'd had one supremely messed-up childhood and was paying for it now. He'd paid enough attention in his psych rotations to know that it was more than likely one of the two.

House limped into his office and turned on his television, and Chase turned to Cameron. "What is it with him?" he finally asked.

"Chase, I think you've been working here long enough to know how he thinks," Cameron joked with a smile, going through the patient file to look for more history.

"I meant you," he replied, sitting back and gnawing on his pencil. "You're all over him."

"If by 'all over him,' you mean that I sort his mail," she grinned, sitting back in her own chair at studying him. "Jealous?"

"What? No!" Maybe. Okay, a little. "Look, I just think it's a little … disquieting that you're so attracted to a man that does nothing but insult you all day long."

"It could be worse," she pointed out, standing and snatching up the patient file. "I could be attracted to a nine-year-old."

"I wasn't attracted to her!" Chase exclaimed, laughing slightly. "She wanted a kiss before she died."

"Isn't that what the Make-A-Wish Foundation is for?" she continued to tease. "And I don't think I need to remind you that she didn't die." She gave him a smile and left the room with the patient's file in her hand, going to take a more detailed history.

Chase watched as Cameron left, and kept his eyes on her until she was completely out of sight. Ever since they'd had that one night of sex … _great_ sex … he'd wanted more. He'd been good about hiding it; about keeping himself under control. And it wasn't just sex he wanted. He wondered what she was like to date. What would it be like to take her out to dinner? Romance her a bit? Fly her home with him to Australia for a week or two?

Who the hell was he kidding? Cameron was obviously in love with House. That or in extreme lust with him. It was stupid of Chase to even consider the fact that she'd date someone like himself. He took a sip of coffee, eyes narrowed, and looked at the dry-erase board. He wasn't meant for Cameron and she wasn't meant for him. There were many times that he didn't think he was meant for anybody… Cameron had been the first person he'd slept with in a long time. And maybe that really had been a horrible mistake to make.

House entered the room and went straight to the board, writing a new symptom. "Where's Cameron?" he asked distractedly.

"I think she went to take a more detailed patient history," Chase answered, just as distracted as he attempted to figure out the symptoms.

"Wrong. She wasn't with the patient when I went to check on him."

"…You checked on a patient?"

"Don't get used to it," he murmured as he set the marker down. "Where's Foreman?"

"How the hell should I know?" Chase replied irritably, tapping his fingers on his coffee mug. "I'm not their secretary. Page them."

House quirked an eyebrow and studied his intensivist. "Someone's got their knickers in a twist. What's wrong, Chase? Cameron call someone else for the drug fun this time?"

"Go to hell."

"Aw, the love." He watched as Chase stood and ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a slow breath. "What are you thinking?"

Chase frowned and looked at House a long while before answering. "I'm thinking of returning to the seminary."

"As long as you come back, I don't really care," House answered after a long, silent pause.

"If I study to be a priest, I'm not going to stay a doctor," he said sternly. "The two contradict each other, in case you haven't noticed."

"Oh, I've noticed…" House let his cane fall on the floor rhythmically as he stared down Chase. "I've also noticed the puppy-dog eyes you've been making at Cameron for the past month and a half. So your reason for getting your vestments has more to do with rejection than it does with God."

"Nothing gets past you," Chase retorted in a sarcastic mumble, turning away to put his empty cup in the sink.

"Why would you return to the seminary?"

"It's not really any of your business. All you need to know is that I'm considering it and if I decide to do it, you'll have a letter of resignation on your desk."

"What I _do_ need to know is why you'd resign from healing people to take up a far lower-paying job to listen to people bitch about their problems. One would think that you'd be serving God more by healing His children than you ever would be by preaching to them."

Chase stared at House for a long moment, debating between leaving and staying here to listen to his boss bitch some more. "There's a difference," he said simply. "It isn't just preaching."

Foreman came in with some test results and noticed the tension in the room. "What's up?"

"Chase wants to molest little boys for a living." He turned to Chase. "That _is_ what Catholic priests do, right?"

"House…" Chase shook his head and gave up. He wasn't going to stand here and take House's abuse. It was stupid. It was ridiculously stupid. "I'm going to do my clinic hours," he grumbled, grabbing up his pristine white lab coat and heading for the clinic.

Why had he bothered to tell House what he'd really been thinking? He'd _known_ he'd get scorned for it; but a part of him wanted to believe that people actually thought becoming a priest was a noble idea. Then again, was it possible for House to believe that _anything_ was noble? Probably not.

As Chase turned the corner, he found Cameron. He nodded to her and she smiled back. "House is looking for you. He checked on the patient."

Cameron's smile turned to a frown. "I just got a more detailed history from Max," she told Chase honestly. "House wasn't in there."

"Maybe he was there after you left," Chase suggested. "What are you doing down here near the clinic, anyway?"

"Max said his wife would be down here, so I came to get some information from her, too."

"So thorough." He glanced at the clinic doors and debated for a while before manning up and asking Cameron what he'd wanted to. "Look… What are you doing Saturday night?"

"Um… Nothing, really. I'm having a late lunch with one of my friends from med school around four."

Chase suddenly felt extremely awkward. Probably because Cameron _made_ him that way ever since he'd made the mistake of sleeping with her when she was high. "I have tickets to _Aida_ at the Mainstage Center for the Arts. A woman from back home was going to come with me… She's visiting the states for a month or so. But she had to catch a later flight because of her job. Do … do you want to come?"

Cameron studied Chase warily. Did she want to go with him? They were going as friends, so it shouldn't be too horribly uncomfortable, right? And it wasn't like she was going to jump him again, even if he was an attractive man. "Sure," she answered slowly, giving him a small smile. "What time?"

"The show starts at eight. I'll pick you up around seven?"

"Sounds great. Thanks, Chase."

"No problem." He smiled at her and headed for the clinic doors. "And if you want to grab a late dinner afterward, there's a nice café near the theatre."

"We'll see how hungry I am after the show," she replied with a friendly smile. "See you when you're done serving the people." She nodded to the clinic.

"I'm sure I'll have a smashing time diagnosing headaches," he said with a grin, and slipped into the clinic to grab up a patient file.

It wasn't until after he'd finished up his clinic hours that Chase had time to reflect on the fact that he had essentially just asked Cameron out on a date. Granted, she hadn't taken it as such… But dinner and a play? Didn't that count as a date? At least a little bit?

He rolled his eyes at his own behavior and checked out of the clinic, making his way back up to diagnostics. The curiosity that he had for Cameron was unsettling, to say the least, and he had a feeling that it could get him into some serious trouble if he attempted any sort of advances. He shook his head to clear it as he opened the door to diagnostics, where Cameron, House, and Foreman were arguing about the patient.

"We know that he has gout, but we don't know why," House snapped at Cameron and Foreman. His eyes wandered to the door when Chase walked in. "Hey, Priest. Got any ideas?"

Chase rolled his eyes. "The patient is sixty five years old," he pointed out. "Gout is common, especially if he didn't take care of himself when he was younger. His wife claims that he didn't, so the gout isn't suspicious."

"Everybody lies."

"Everyone has times when they tell the truth, too," Foreman argued. "Look, the guy admits that he wasn't all that healthy in his youth and his wife backs him up. They've been married for forty five years. There's no reason for them to lie about his health."

"What about arthritis?" Cameron offered. "It can have the same symptoms as gout. Maybe he was misdiagnosed. He _did_ say that the pain in his joints has been going on for over fifteen years. Most doctors don't look for gout before they look for arthritis… I think we should retest."

House studied Cameron silently before nodding. "Go do an arthritis scan. Chase, you prep the gout test. And Foreman…" He reached into his back pocket and tossed a set of keys at the neurologist. "Go play detective. I want you to look for any prescription drugs, his or hers. Bring them in and let's see who's taking what. Or who's poisoning whom."

"Wait a minute…" Cameron said hesitantly, clipboard tucked under her arm. "You think one of them is poisoning the other?"

"They've been married for forty five years. Someone's got to be getting sick of someone else."

"That's completely outlandish," she snapped. "Just because you can't stick by someone for years without hating them doesn't mean that someone else can't."

"Feisty, Cameron. Trying to psychoanalyze me in front of the other ducklings. Cute," House replied, waggling his eyebrows. "Go get the tests done. I'll see you all when you get back, and you'll hopefully all have new and improved ideas."

Cameron stormed out of the room, Chase following close behind her. "Cameron, are you…?"

"I'm fine," she snapped. "I am perfectly all right." She stopped and spun to face Chase. "Why does he do that?" she asked desperately. "Why does he have to do that?"

"It's _House_," Chase said with a shrug. "He lives to spite us." When she turned to storm off again, he took hold of her wrist. "Cameron… Don't let him get to you like that," he said quietly. "He does it because he knows how much it upsets you. He tries to make you hate him. He tries _really_ hard."

"I hate that he tries to make me hate him," Cameron responded in frustration. "He doesn't realize that I won't. I _can't_."

"Cameron…" Chase frowned, upset to see Cameron so perturbed about the whole thing. "He's not good enough for you to throw away your hopes on. He's heartless."

"He's not," Cameron defended. "He's just… He's damaged. He needs someone who will-"

"Cameron, you don't know what he needs," Chase argued gently. "He doesn't even know what he needs. Let him have his booze and his pills and his prostitutes. You deserve better than that."

"Chase…" She looked at the floor and frowned slightly. "Thank you. For thinking that, I mean. I appreciate it." She tapped the folder nervously against her leg before glancing up at the clock. "We need to run those tests," she reminded him quietly.

"Yeah… Let's do that, then." And just like that, he knew that she wouldn't listen to a word he'd just said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I wanted to own Chase for a short while because, let's face it, the man has GREAT hair. But alas... He was not selling.

**Chapter Two**

Saturday came soon enough for Chase, and before he knew it, he was putting on a suit and tie for his… Well… Could he call it a date? His whatever-he-had with Cameron tonight. He'd chosen a black suit, if only because it looked the best. He hated going out to see a show and seeing tons of people wearing jeans and tee shirts. It was like they had no respect for performers anymore.

He checked the clock and finished with his tie. For some odd reason, he was nervous. Extremely nervous. What was it about Cameron that made him so nervous? She was a friend and a colleague and they'd put that whole sex thing behind them, right? At least … she'd put it behind her. He grimaced as he picked up his keys. For some reason, he had a damned hard time putting it behind him.

But he'd deal with it. He'd put it in the back of his mind and take Cameron out for a show and some food and know that they were _friends_, and nothing more. After all, he was seriously considering re-entering seminary, and he felt genuinely guilty for the thoughts about Cameron that plagued him. A tiny little voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he wasn't a priest _yet_, and that he ought to feel free to do whatever the hell he wanted.

What he wanted to do was squish that little voice with his thumb and never listen to it again. That little voice had gotten him into plenty of trouble before, and that was all it would ever do. He frowned as he pulled up in front of Cameron's apartment. His hands gripped the steering wheel and he took in a slow, deep breath. What happened last time was _not_ going to happen again; this much, he knew. He'd just go up there, knock on her door, and they'd come back down here. It was fine.

But it still took him at least five minutes to get his hands off of the wheel, wipe them on the sides of his pants, and head up to her apartment. He shouldn't be so nervous around her! This was Cameron. She was too nice to mock him, and she wasn't about to allow a repeat performance. So this was fine. He knocked on her door.

She answered with a smile as she was putting an earring in. "Come on in," she told him, nodding behind her and kicking the door open a little wider with the tip of her foot. "I just need to find my shoes."

Chase smiled at her and entered the apartment, closing the door behind him. Cameron looked amazing in a dress that had straps crossing her back in a loose x-shape. He watched as she managed to finish putting on her earrings without a mirror and slip into her shoes at the same time. Women never ceased to amaze him with their multi-tasking ways. Once she was fully-dressed, she grabbed a shawl off of her couch and faced Chase.

"Well?" she asked, doing a quick turn. "Do I look decent?"

He grinned. "You look … fabulous," he answered honestly. "Are you going to want to stop somewhere for food after? I think we're both a bit over-dressed for a café."

Cameron laughed softly. "We'll see after the show." She grabbed up her evening purse and keys and led the way out of her apartment, locking the door behind her. "Thank you for inviting me tonight. I needed to get out."

"No problem," he replied, waiting for her before heading for the car. "I wasn't about to ask Foreman or House… I'd rather they didn't question my sexuality any more than they already do."

Cameron grinned, which turned into a smile when Chase opened her door for her. She thanked him and slid inside. "You know, I don't think they question it seriously. They do it to throw you off the scent. Face it, Chase," she said as she buckled her seatbelt. "They want your hot Australian ass."

Chase laughed as he backed out of his parking space. "They want your hot female ass more than they want my hot Australian one. Having a vagina wins over having an accent any day."

Cameron smiled and looked out the window, watching the scenery pass her by. "So … how much were the tickets?" she asked hesitantly. "I'd hate for you to pay for both…"

"Don't worry about it," he replied suddenly, hoping to cut her off before she said something about how this _wasn't_ a date. "I would have paid for them both anyway, so it isn't that big of a deal."

"But, I-"

"Keep your money, Cameron. It's on me."

Cameron frowned and settled back into her seat, looking out the window once more. "Okay… But dinner's on me."

With a small smile, Chase glanced over at her. "Deal."

---

"That … was amazing," Cameron raved as they left the theatre. "I mean … the costumes, the lighting, the _music_, Chase!"

Chase laughed as Cameron grabbed onto his arm. "You've never seen _Aida_ before?"

"Not the musical! I saw the opera with my parents when I was younger, but this! This was … it was _better_!"

He grinned stupidly as he watched her, her eyes lit up due to her bright smile. There was one thing that he couldn't deny himself, and that was seeing her like this. He'd never seen it before… She was carefree. She wasn't trying to concentrate on a case, she wasn't high, and she wasn't in the throes of… _Oh, God, don't go there_, he thought to himself.

He cleared his throat and tried to put those thoughts in the back of his mind. "So were you hungry…?"

"Hmm… Yes." She continued to have one arm wrapped around his, and he definitely didn't mind. "Where did you want to go?"

"We could go to that café I mentioned earlier, but we're a bit over-dressed… There's a restaurant down the street, if you want. We wouldn't even have to drive there."

"Works for me," she said with a smile. "Thanks again for inviting me to this, Chase. I think I needed it more than I knew."

"Anytime. Been cramped up in your apartment for too long?" he asked curiously.

"Pretty much. I just haven't gotten out lately. It was nice to see an old friend and go out to see a show all in one day."

They got to the restaurant and Chase ordered them a table, and they stood in the foyer to wait for it. Chase shoved his hands in his pockets and resisted the urge to pull out a piece of gum. He always felt like he had to be chewing on something. "I'm glad you were able to come. I would've hated to give up the tickets."

"You wouldn't have gone by yourself?" she asked curiously, rummaging around in her purse for something. "Are you dating the girl who was supposed to come with you?"

"Dating…?" He laughed and shook his head. "No. I just hate going to things like this by myself." The hostess came back and took them to their table, which was on the balcony. Chase thanked God; he needed fresh air. "Jane, the woman who was supposed to come… She's a woman from my undergrad years. She's doing some study on doctors and wanted to ask me a few questions. Since she was planning on flying out in the first place, I suggested we catch dinner and a show. But she had to change her flight plans."

"That's sort of sad," Cameron commented, finally finding what she'd been looking for in her purse. She pulled out a bobby pin and pinned back an annoying strand of hair that had been getting into her face. "When was the last time you saw her?"

"Maybe six years ago. But we're always e-mailing back and forth, so it isn't like I never speak to her." The waiter came by and asked for their drink orders. Chase ordered a beer and nodded to Cameron to ask what she wanted.

"Just a tea," she responded. The waiter left to get the orders and Chase gave Cameron a curious look. "One of us has to be sober," she teased.

He rolled his eyes. "One beer is not going to put me over. Scared I can drink you under the table?"

"Basically," she answered honestly. "So… Foreman said something about you leaving," she said hesitantly. "Is it true?"

"Leaving?" he asked with a frown. "No… Not quite. I'm trying to make up my mind about something."

"About what?"

He sighed and played with a napkin. "I've … been considering returning to Australia. Studying for seminary again."

Cameron was silent and she studied her coworker inquisitively. "How come?" she finally asked.

Chase frowned as he considered his answer. "A few reasons… I just … I feel the need to serve God. It's as simple as that. I shied away from it years ago and I feel ready to try it again."

"Well… How come you left in the first place?"

"The time just wasn't right. I wasn't ready to take my vows."

"And you feel like you are now?"

"I feel like I could be." He thanked the waiter, who set their drinks down and asked for their meal orders. Once he got them, he was off again, and the conversation resumed. "I'm ready for it now."

Cameron thought on Chase's comments, ringing her finger around the lip of her glass of tea. "I don't believe in God," she said bluntly, and with an unapologetic shrug. "But I do think that if He were real… You're doing a greater service by figuring out what's wrong with and healing patients. You're helping people live, Chase. You may not be giving them the word of God, but you're letting them see bits and pieces of Him every time you send them out of the hospital."

Chase was silent for a while after Cameron finished and gave her a slow, thankful smile. "You've just said what House did," he said quietly. "Except in a much friendlier and more supportive way."

"House … isn't as horrible as you try to make him out to be," Cameron responded hesitantly.

"You're so loyal to him… Has he ever really given you reason to put that much faith in him?" Chase probed.

"Has God given you a good reason to want to give up medicine to work for Him?" Cameron shot back. She sighed and tapped her fingers on the table. "I'm not trying to compare House to God… Honestly. But it's the only analogy I can think of to use with you."

Chase grinned. "You _are_ trying to compare House to God. Don't lie." But he let up on his teasing and sat back in his chair, tapping a straw on the table. "And it's infinitely different in my case. You really don't believe in God?"

"No," she answered unapologetically. "I don't. I don't believe that there can be some supreme being meant to be only good when there's so much evil. People… People think that they can put all of their faith into this one being and that He'll solve all of their problems. It isn't true; He's not going to be there to heal a sick child. He isn't even going to be there to stop a mother from getting an abortion when thousands of women are dying to have the baby that they're about to get rid of. If God's up there, I doubt He really cares what the hell we're doing down here. We're like ants to Him; we live in our little, contained farms and He prods at us every so often until he loses interest once again."

Chase looked at Cameron in awe. She really believed that, didn't she? She really, truly believed that was how it worked. "God isn't there to interfere with our lives," he said softly. "He's there to help us only when we need Him most. If He helped with every small problem, then we wouldn't have free will."

"The idea of God is preposterous," Cameron maintained. "He doesn't help with small things? That's fine. But He could have stopped dozens of huge things. The tsunami in Indonesia? Hitler? Hurricane Katrina?"

"Cameron, you have to understand the mindset," Chase explained calmly. He'd run into people like Cameron before and had learned how to handle them. It was a part of studying to be a priest. "All of those things have happened for a reason. Ultimately, they'll cause good in the world. Look at the response to the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina: millions of people did what they could to help. And Hitler didn't take over the world. Much as I hate to say it, what he did opened the world's eyes as to how much hate can be out there. For every negative thing that's happened, it's brought something good."

Cameron chuckled and cocked her head to the side, studying Chase. "Do you have automated responses pre-programmed into your brain?"

Chase grinned. "Sort of. I don't like arguing or debating religion because it's pointless. It doesn't get anyone anywhere. If you're ready to go to God, than you'll do it on your own; you'll seek out someone who can give you His word. Until then, you're going to continue to believe what you want to believe, and it isn't my place to change that."

"Even if you become a priest?"

"Especially if I become a priest." The waiter set their food down in front of them and asked if they needed anything else. When they answered in the negative, the waiter gave them a smile and walked off. "I don't see it as a priest's job to proselytize," Chase continued as he ate his late dinner. "His job is to help his congregation."

"You know what I never understood?" Cameron asked as she spun a spaghetti noodle around her fork. "How come priests can't marry? I mean, they're supposed to provide counsel to the married couples in their churches. How can they understand if they've never been married?"

"Originally, priests _were_ married," Chase informed her. "But in the middle ages, the Catholic Church realized that priests were gaining all of this land that should belong to the church and leaving the land to their offspring, who didn't stay with the church. Since the church was losing land, they deemed that priests could no longer marry. They gave some cock-and-bull excuse about priests needing to abstain from sexual activity in order to be 'pure' enough to preach in order to cover their asses. The rule stuck, but there's a small group in the church that's trying to repeal it."

"You still keep up with what's going on in the church?"

Chase smiled and shrugged sheepishly. "It was my life for years. I can't just give it up."

"I'll bet you still go every Sunday, don't you?" Cameron teased. "Do you even sing in the choir?"

Chase laughed and tapped Cameron's foot with his own. "I'm not a choirboy."

"If you say so…"

"I'm not!"

"I just… I have to know…" Cameron was holding back giggles and Chase was dreading whatever was about to come out of her mouth.

"Yes?"

"Were you one of those boys that wore the funny robes and carried candles?"

"Altar boy," Chase replied, a small blush making its way onto his face. "And yeah. When I was younger."

Cameron fell into a fit of giggles. "Want to wear my terry-cloth robe? For old time's sake?"

Chase laughed and threw his straw at her. "Like you never did something you really loved when you were younger," he challenged.

"Are you kidding me?" Cameron asked, still giggling. "I was in dance classes."

"Oh, I'd just love to see you in a tutu."

"I never wore a tutu," she laughed, taking another bite of her dinner. "I was in tap class for years before my mom put me in ballet. One of my undergrad majors was even dance."

"One of?"

"I double-majored. The other was chemistry."

"Only you…"

"Hey. My dance years have _nothing_ on your altar boy years. At least my costumes were cute."

"They weren't costumes! The robes are symbolic," Chase replied with a laugh.

"Symbolic of what?" Cameron asked with a grin. "Homoeroticism in the church?"

"Even _you_ go on about my sexuality. I ought to press a lawsuit against you, Foreman, and House. I'd get hundreds of thousands of dollars."

"Yeah," Cameron said with a small snort. "And all of my student loan payments."

"They can't be that bad," Chase said optimistically.

Cameron quirked an eyebrow at him as she finished off her dinner. "Let's see… I got full rides throughout my undergrad years, so they were pain-free. However, med school was pretty expensive. Twenty five thousand dollars per year times four years… So that's one hundred thousand dollars. Not counting all of the interest that I owe."

Chase's eyes widened and he stared at Cameron in awe. "Didn't you get any scholarships or grants or anything?"

"Sure. But I still had living expenses. Scholarships and grants don't pay for everything."

"Still… That's … a lot of money."

"You paid just as much." _At least, your dad did_, she thought bitterly. But she gave him a smile and took a sip of her tea. "How's your dinner?"

He smiled at her and told her it was great. It had started out that way, at least. Now it tasted just as bitter as Cameron had sounded.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I want a hippopotamus for Christmas... And the rights to House... I think I'm more likely to get the hippo, dude.

**Chapter Three**

When Chase arrived at work on Monday, the entire diagnostics department seemed tense. He noticed that Foreman was trying to keep out of the way, and Cameron and House had an air about them that screamed of anger. After such a nice weekend, he wasn't looking forward to starting the week this way.

"You're late," House snapped at Chase.

"I called and said that I would be," Chase answered cautiously. "Left you a message… I had to fix my breaks."

"You know how to fix a car?" House asked with a sneer. "I'm amazed." He turned to Foreman. "Go make sure he did it right. Cameron, you're coming with me. We're checking out what's-his-face's apartment."

"Max," Cameron said through gritted teeth. "The patient's name is Max."

"Sure. Right. Chase, be a good puppy and go with Foreman to be sure you're not going to get into a car accident."

"I'm not checking-" Foreman started to protest, but stopped when House pinned him with a glare.

"Yes," House insisted with a sneer. "You are. Cameron." He nodded and Cameron snatched up her coat, following House with an angry gait.

Chase blinked and looked around the nearly-empty room. "What the hell did I miss?"

Foreman grimaced and set his pencil down. "House found out about you taking Cameron out Saturday night. He … wasn't happy. I think they had a screaming match in his office."

Chase frowned. "What does he care whether or not I took Cameron out on Saturday? It wasn't a date or anything. Besides, he isn't seeing her."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Foreman suggested hesitantly. "He's possessive enough to make me think that they've got something going on under the table."

"You're kidding."

"Nope." He scratched the back of his head and blew out a slow breath. "I've been trying to stay as uninvolved as possible." He paused, tapping his fingers on the table. "You want me to look at your brakes?"

Chase sighed. "Sure." He'd probably fucked them up anyway.

---

When House and Cameron returned to the hospital, they seemed to have solved whatever issue was between them before, and Chase noticed immediately. Maybe Foreman was right about Cameron having something secret with House. Some of her comments when they'd been out the other night certainly leaned toward the idea. Chase wondered if he ought to put in a bet on it.

Or he could just ask Cameron when he got a chance. But, really, where was the fun in that?

"How's the patient?" House asked, hanging his cane on the side of the whiteboard and tossing a couple of prescription bottles on the table. The bottles had been found in the patient's apartment, and not all of them were actually prescribed to the old couple.

"Stable," Foreman answered. "Second tox-screens came back negative."

"Do an LP. I want to know what's attacking this guy's mind. Chase, run some more blood work and check for bacterial infections. Cameron, smear for at least twenty types of viruses. If this guy wants to be difficult, we'll help him right along."

Foreman shook his head and went to take the lumbar puncture, and Chase and Cameron got up to go to the lab. Before they left, House interrupted them.

"Cameron," he said with a nod of his head. She turned to face him. "Office." She sighed and followed House into his office. Chase watched until House gave him a glare and shut the blinds.

"Son of a bitch," Chase muttered. "Foreman was right." He shook his head, angry with himself for thinking he might have had a chance with Cameron and angry with Cameron for having a thing with House. Without another thought, he made his way to the lab to start the blood work.

Not twenty minutes later, Cameron came into the lab and quietly began her virus smears. After a few moments of silence, Chase couldn't take it anymore. "You're sleeping with him, aren't you?"

Cameron looked up from her smears in surprise. "I'm sorry?"

"House. You're having sex with House."

"I…" She looked flustered and shook her head, returning her attention to her work. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb, Cameron," Chase snapped. "Foreman told me that he threw a hissy fit when he found out that I took you out Saturday night."

"He didn't throw a hissy fit!" Cameron exclaimed, shoving a Petri dish angrily into a container. "And I'm _not_ sleeping with him."

"Can you prove it?"

"What do you want, Chase? The nonexistent condoms that we haven't used?" She turned to face her colleague and took her glasses off, crossing her arms angrily over her chest. "Why are you up-in-arms about this, anyway? I'm not sleeping with you, either."

"It's stupid to get mixed up with him, Cameron. He's our _boss_ and he's an asshole," Chase told her heatedly.

"So now I'm stupid for doing something that I haven't done? Chase, are you out of your mind?"

"Out of his mind with jealousy, perhaps?" House suggested from the doorway to the lab. Cameron flushed and Chase glared as House limped into the lab. "I think Dr. Chase needs to find a new past-time. You know … something that _doesn't_ involve harassing his coworkers. Or sleeping with them. Are you two doing any work down here or did I send you down here to have a fuck-fest?"

Cameron threw her arms into the air in exasperation. "I'm not fucking _Chase_, either!" she exclaimed angrily. "What _is_ it with you two?"

"Well, you see…" House started, leaning on his cane with a smirk plastered smugly on his face. "When a man finds a woman attractive, blood rushes to his-"

"Go to hell," Cameron cut him off, storming out of the lab and leaving the two to stare each other down.

Silence settled over the two men as they challenged each other without words. Finally, Chase broke the tense silence.

"Are you seeing her?"

"Every day at work," House retorted simply.

"Are you screwing her?" Chase clarified through clenched teeth.

"I wish. She's a hot piece of ass."

"House-"

"There's nothing going on between Cameron and me."

"As if you would tell me if there were."

"Exactly," he sneered, going to check over Cameron's work. "All you need to know is that I can have her if I want her and you… Well, you can't, now, can you?"

"I could," Chase growled angrily, hands clenching into fists at his sides. "I'm just not going to play with her like that. It's not fair to her."

House smirked. "You know what? You're right. I'll go tell her right now that I'd like to meet her for drinks after work. Get her smashed, take her home, have a little fun. Maybe something will even develop. Hopefully not a kid, though… I'd have to dump her ass for that one."

"You're twisted and sick."

"Yeah…" House drawled, tossing a Petri dish back into the testing case. "But I'll still get the girl. The most wonderful thing about it all is that I won't even have to try all that hard." He left the lab slowly, and Chase knew why he'd done what he'd just done. He wanted to intimidate Chase. That's fine … let him intimidate. Chase would do what was right: He was telling Cameron.

---

Chase found Cameron eating dinner in the cafeteria. He took a deep breath, wiped his sweaty, nervous palms on his dress slacks, and took the seat across from her. "Mind if I talk to you for a minute?"

Cameron frowned. "I only mind if you're going to accuse me of screwing my boss."

Chase sighed. "I'm sorry. I was way out of line when I said that. I was…"

Cameron studied him with a somewhat sad look in her eyes. "Jealous?" she asked softly. When Chase didn't answer, Cameron prodded along gently. "It's okay if you were… I just don't like the way you handled it."

"I wasn't… I was…" He frowned and studied his hands, which were crossed on the table in front of him. "I was upset to think that you would let yourself get involved with someone like House. You _do_ deserve better, Cameron." He paused and finally managed to meet her eyes. "I am sorry for it, though. I never should have accused you of sleeping with him."

"Thank you," she answered slowly, taking another bite of her salad. "Both for thinking that I deserve better and for apologizing. It really hurt me that you thought I would hop into bed with House without a second thought."

"I know. It was wrong of me." He paused and stared hesitantly at his hands once more. "It's not my place to judge anything you do. I just… House is such an ass… And… And you should know…" He fought with himself… Should he really tell her? Maybe House was just goading him. It was a very good possibility that House had just been trying to get a rise out of Chase. House did that. Constantly.

"Yes?" she asked.

The look on her face told Chase that she was expecting some sort of admission of love. He'd have to let her down… At least this time. "House… He mentioned…" Chase frowned. "He may have just been trying to rile me, but he said that he'd invite you out for drinks. That he could get you without even trying. I just … I think you should know that."

Cameron chewed thoughtfully on her salad and frowned slightly. "Really?" she asked, eyes narrowing in thought. "Well… I'll take that up with him." She dived back into her salad. "Mind you, I'll do it on my own time… But I'll be sure to bring that up." She gave Chase a smile. "Thank you."

He gave her a sheepish grin in return. "Just looking out for you."

---

Later that evening, as the team sat and attempted to figure out the rest of the problems with Max, House tapped his cane on his foot. "Enough of this," he declared. "I'm getting out of here. Liquor sounds good…" He turned to Cameron. "Drinks?"

"Sure," Cameron answered slowly. Once House's back was turned, she gave Chase a small wink.

Chase smiled. Cameron really wasn't going down without a fight, and he couldn't be happier. He worried, though, that maybe she hadn't really believed him when he told her… But he had to put those thoughts behind him. As the team stood to leave, he pulled her aside. "You're going?" he asked worriedly.

"Chase, I told you that I'd confront him about it. And that's what I'm doing," she answered with a smile as she took off her lab coat and tugged on her jacket. "Don't worry, Chase. Everything's going to be fine. Thank you for looking out for me," she said sincerely.

He gave her a small smile. "You're welcome," he answered softly.

She ruffled his hair affectionately before following House out of the hospital. Chase stood back and hoped, with all of his heart, that Cameron wasn't going to go and do stupid… Like fall for whatever device House had planned.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Apparently, you can't steal them by zipping them up in body bags and tossing them over your shoulder. They're too heavy for poor little me, at least.

**Chapter Four**

The next morning, Chase woke to the sound of his cell phone ringing. He frowned and squinted to see his alarm clock; it was only ten past five, so he knew it wouldn't be House calling to tell him that he was late again. With a groan, he reached over to his bedside table and grabbed up his cell phone, squinting at the display screen. "Cameron?" he mumbled sleepily. He opened the phone. "Chase."

"Chase, it's Cameron." Her voice sounded tired and… Did he hear a sniffle?

"Cameron? Are you okay?"

"Yes… No… I just… Look, I need someplace to stay."

"Stay? Why?" By this point, he'd become fully awake and was sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them.

"My apartment, Chase. It's gone."

"It's gone?" he asked, sounding just as confused as he felt. "What do you mean, it's gone?"

"Fire…"

"Oh, Christ. Are you outside?"

"Yeah."

"Don't move. I'll be right there." He got out of bed and pulled on his slacks from the day before. "Do you need me to stay on the phone with you while I'm on my way?"

"No. No, I'll be fine." More sniffles. "I'm sorry. It's so late. Well … early. I didn't know who to call. My parents are out of town, my sister's at some stupid camp. My wallet's in there, Chase. It's in the fire. I don't have anything…"

"It's okay," he said soothingly. "Just calm down and sit tight. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thank you. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he scolded gently, his voice muddled as he pulled his shirt on. "This isn't your fault." He grabbed up his wallet and shoved it into his back pocket before locating his car keys. "I'm on my way right now. Do you need me to pick anything up on the way? There's a fast food place on the way to your apartment; I could get you something to eat."

"No, thank you. I just want to sleep." She sounded tired and on the verge of tears. "I tried calling House and he didn't answer. And Foreman didn't answer, either. And I was going to call Wilson but I thought I'd call you because you're closer and…" There were the tears.

Chase tore out of the parking lot and sped to Cameron's apartment complex. A small frown was on his face when he realized he was her last resort. "Cameron, it's okay. Don't worry about this; you'll be back on your feet in no time. You'll stay at my place tonight and you can take tomorrow off. House isn't going to say no to that, and if he does, you can go to Cuddy."

He heard her sniffles on the other line, accompanied every so often by a barely audible sob. "I don't want to take tomorrow off. I don't…" He heard quite a loud sob. "My _clothes_, Chase! They're inside! I don't even know if they're wear-able anymore."

"Cameron, you've got to calm down. Look, I'm on my way right now. I'll be there in five minutes at most. We'll ask the firefighters about possible damage. If you're lucky, there won't be too much damage to the structure of the building and you can go in and get anything that you can save."

"It was the apartment below mine," she said tearfully. "Some idiot woman who didn't know how to put out a cigarette. I don't know if anything's left…"

"We'll find out. Everything's going to be okay." At least, he prayed it would be. "Did you manage to grab anything before you got out?"

"I have a robe and my cell phone," she muttered dejectedly. "My apartment was burning to the ground and all I could think to grab was my stupid robe and my stupid cell phone."

"Better than getting your ass caught on fire, right?" he joked gently. "I'm pulling around the corner right now." He'd seen the smoke from a while away and had to park a block away from her building and walk to her.

Cameron stood with her cell phone to her ear, a white, terry cloth robe engulfing her small frame. When she caught sight of Chase, she closed her phone and ran the rest of the block to throw herself into his arms. He held her loosely as she cried into his chest, muttering about all of her belongings and how they were gone and she'd have to buy a whole new wardrobe and find a place to live. He started tuning everything out after that, watching the building as the firefighters tried to put the fire out.

She might really not have anything left, and he rubbed her back lightly to sooth her. "Do you want to stay and see what you can save or do you just want to go?" he asked her gently.

"I want to go," she said quickly, wiping tears off of her cheeks. "I don't want to watch it burn down anymore."

"Come on. My car's down the street."

"Thank you, Chase."

"No problem." He took his jacket off and tossed it around her shoulders if only because she was shaking despite the fact that she had on a warm robe. "Come on," he said gently, opening the door for her. "Let's get you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry…" she mumbled as she got into the car.

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Drinks with House… Six hours ago?" She rested her head on the headrest and wiped more tears off of her cheeks. "I can't believe my place burned down," she said in a whisper.

"It didn't burn down," Chase said sternly, pulling away from the curb and keeping his eyes pealed for a fast food place that was open. "I got a decent look at it… I don't think it's completely gone. You'll probably have plenty of stuff that you can salvage."

"You're so sweet," she said with a sad smile. "I'm so sorry I called you at five in the morning…"

"Stop apologizing," he demanded, locating a Burger King and ordering breakfast for the both of them. He handed the bag to Cameron, who held it loosely as he continued to his own apartment. "This wasn't your fault and I don't mind helping a friend out. Look, I don't have any spare clothes or anything at my apartment, so if you want to run out to a store or something, I can buy and you can just pay me back when you get back on your feet."

"Chase, I couldn't ask you to-"

"You're not asking," he said with a smile. "I'm offering." He pulled up to his apartment and took the bag of food from Cameron, leading the way and opening the door, letting Cameron in first.

She entered the apartment, located the couch, and plopped down onto it. "I don't want you buying clothes for me," she said softly. "I couldn't stand it." Her cell phone rang and she answered it. "Cameron. Yes, I tried to call you. No, it's not… Because, I-" She ran her hand through her hair and listened to whatever the person on the other line was saying. "It isn't… _Listen_ to me! My apartment caught fire!"

Chase handed Cameron her breakfast and she gave him a thankful smile as he sat next to her.

"No, I called Chase. Yeah… No, I'm at his place right now. Why? Because he answered his phone and came and got me, that's why. Of _course_ I'm irritable! My apartment is gone!" She put her forehead in her free hand and frowned deeply before biting into the sausage biscuit that Chase had provided. "No, I don't want you to come and get me. I'm fine here."

Chase frowned and ate his own breakfast slowly, wondering if he shouldn't leave the room. Cameron wasn't asking him to leave, and she wasn't leaving herself, so he sort of assumed that it was okay for him to be here.

"No, it's… Please, don't…" She sighed. "House, I don't want you to."

Chase's head snapped up. House? She was on the phone with _House_? Son of a…

"I don't want the day off," she muttered before taking another bite of her breakfast. "Well, no, I don't have any, but… No. No, Chase offered to. I'm not accepting it from _either of you_ because I don't want people buying my panties for me, okay? I'd prefer if you both stayed out of it." She sat back on the couch and chewed slowly, giving Chase an apologetic look. "Fine. I'll take the day off, but I'm not- House, you're not…" She gave an angry sigh. "Okay. Fine." She closed the phone and tossed it on the table, glaring at her breakfast.

Chase frowned, looking at the phone and then at Cameron. "House called you?"

"Returned my call from earlier," she mumbled, looking at her breakfast instead of at Chase, which Chase found more than a little disconcerting.

"Cameron?" he asked softly. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said with a sigh. "I confronted House about what he said to you in the lab. He owned up to it."

"Just like that?" Chase asked in surprise.

"Just like that," Cameron drawled, finishing off her breakfast sandwich and starting on the hash browns. "We talked. It was actually … kind of nice."

"Cameron, you didn't…"

"Nothing happened," she assured him. "Nothing big. It was just a nice night out between two colleagues."

He got the feeling that she was leaving something out, but he wouldn't press it. No matter how much he wanted to, he wouldn't. "Are you going to be okay here when I go to work?" he asked softly.

She nodded, glancing at the clock. "I've got three hours," she said with a small smile.

"I can come back during lunch and take you to your apartment."

"No," Cameron said uncomfortably, shifting a bit as she nibbled on a hash brown. "House said he would."

"_House_?" Chase asked incredulously. "_House_ is taking you to your apartment?"

"He offered-"

"Which is definitely not like him."

"Chase, I told you that he isn't as bad as you make him out to be. Yes, he offered to take me to my apartment. Well … more like demanded that he'd do it."

"I can't believe this."

"How come you're upset?" Cameron asked curiously.

"Because it's _House_!" Chase exclaimed angrily. "He's doing nice things for you to get you to fall even harder for him so that he can get to me!"

Cameron blinked and tossed the remains of her breakfast on the table. "Sounds rather paranoid," she told him flatly.

"Look, Cameron, I just think-"

"I know what you think, Chase," she said with a shrug. "I also know that you have some serious issues that you need to sit down and think about. House isn't out to get you. And even if he _was_, he wouldn't go about it by doing nice things for me."

Chase gritted his teeth and finished his breakfast in silence. Sometimes, Cameron could be so naïve.

---

When he arrived at work, Chase was already tired as all hell. He'd sat up with Cameron, listening to her worries about her belongings right up until he had to leave for work. He made coffee, since Cameron wasn't there to do it, and waited impatiently for the caffeine to brew.

Foreman came in, draped his jacket over a chair, and frowned at Chase in concern. "Hard night?"

"Cameron's apartment caught fire," Chase replied, watching the coffee. "I had to go get her."

Foreman's look of concern immediately turned to one of guilt. "Is … that why she called me so early this morning?"

"That would be it."

"I didn't think it was an emergency," he admitted with a frown. "I mean, with no page…"

"Don't worry about it," Chase said with a shrug, thanking God when the coffee was finished and pouring himself a cup. "She didn't actually expect anyone to answer when she called any of us."

"Any?"

Chase rolled his eyes and turned to Foreman. "She even called House."

"Damn…" Foreman poured himself a cup of coffee and frowned slightly. "Did she say how their impromptu get-together went last night?"

"I gathered how it went," Chase said slowly and distastefully. "And I'm pretty sure it went rather well."

Foreman cringed. "Great…"

House walked in at that moment, tossing his bag into his office and grabbing a cup of coffee. He looked just as tired as Chase did, which surprised the intensivist to no end. Had House not gone back to sleep, either?

After taking a sip of the coffee, House spit it back out immediately. "Who the hell makes coffee this weak?" He looked a Foreman, then sneered at Chase. "Has to be the white guy," he mumbled, dumping the liquid down the sink. "I'm taking a half day today and I expect you two to be able to treat the patient in the afternoon. If something changes and I can _do_ something about it-" He pinned Foreman with a glare. "-then you can call me."

"What are you taking a half day for?" Foreman asked.

"Someone has to take Cameron back to her apartment."

"But she's staying with me," Chase pointed out irritably. "I'll take her back there at lunch. It's not-"

"Going to happen," House cut off smoothly, going to his office. "I'm leaving at noon. Let's get this guy diagnosed already."

Chase scowled at sat at the table, helping in the first differential without Cameron in a long time. He couldn't help but be upset that Cameron was going with House to her apartment. What had happened between them last night? Did she realize that she was playing with Chase's emotions? He doubted it… Cameron wouldn't play with him on purpose. He didn't think she had it in her to do that to someone. At least, he sincerely hoped she didn't.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own any of the characters. If I DID, however, there would be much happiness in the world.

**Chapter Five**

Chase returned to his apartment after work to find that the door was unlocked. He frowned and opened it, only to see Cameron on the couch watching the television. She had two duffle bags, a purse, and a packet of papers at her feet.

"Hey," she said with a small smile.

"Hey," he replied. "House took you to get your stuff."

"Yeah… There … wasn't much left," she said slowly, turning off the television. "I got some clothes, my credit and debit cards, some cash, and a couple of pairs of shoes. My laptop's toast and most of my clothes are ashes."

Chase frowned and sat next to her. "I'm sorry," he told her quietly. "That's got to be devastating."

She shrugged uncomfortably and prodded her bags with her feet. "It's okay," she replied hesitantly. "I just… I mean, insurance covers the apartment and most of the things inside. I'll be able to move back in about two months from now. I found a hotel that I can stay in for a week until my parents get back; then I'll stay with them until I get the all-clear to move back in."

They were quiet for a moment, each reflecting on their thoughts, until Cameron spoke again.

"I want to thank you, Chase. For everything. You've been great throughout this whole ordeal and I don't think I can thank you enough for that."

Chase smiled and placed a hand gently on Cameron's knee. "I'm a friend," he told her simply. "It's what friends do."

"Chase… You're…" Cameron grinned and took hold of the hand on her knee. "I've spent all afternoon with House," she said quietly, playing absently with Chase's fingers. "He gave me a … bit of an ultimatum."

"An ultimatum?" Chase asked, confused not only by Cameron's words, but by her actions.

"He knows that I find you attractive," she admitted shamelessly. "He also knows that I find him attractive. He thinks I need to … figure out which one of you I find _more_ attractive." She turned over Chase's hand and traced random patterns on his palm, making him shiver. "He told me that I have a very scientific mind and that I ought to come up with a hypothesis and test it… But I don't know how willing I am to do that. To you or to him, though he claims he wants me to."

"Uh, Cameron?" Chase asked, clearing his throat after saying her name. "Ah… Wh-what sort of test?"

"You know… Spend time with both of you. See who I enjoy being with more." Her brow furrowed as she traced the random patterns with her nails instead of her fingertips. "But I don't think it's fair to either of you for me to do that. It would be like cheating on both of you with each other when you both knew… I can't do that. I don't have it in me."

"And, uh… Why don't you think that's fair?" he asked. He needed to loosen his tie. Christ. She looked so sweet…

"Well. Because I'm going to have to sleep with both of you. I'm sorry, but I can't enter into a relationship without knowing what the sex is like."

"Christ, Cameron…" His free hand flew to his throat to loosen his tie.

"I know. I don't think it's right, either."

"No. No, that isn't it." It was fine. Really. Chase was pretty sure that he was better in bed than a cripple who happened to be twice his age. "I just…" Quick! Excuse! "What if you get hurt in this whole process? It's fair to me and to House, if you think about it… We're both getting you for a while. But … I mean … you. It's not fair to you."

Cameron frowned and studied Chase. "I thought differently. I thought it wouldn't be fair to either of you, seeing as I'd get both of you for a while. But wouldn't you both be jealous? I can't screw up our work dynamic like that."

_Please don't say 'screw,'_ he thought desperately. "Um … Cameron?"

"Yes?" She was still tracing those patterns on his hand, and her voice and become noticeably lower since they'd started this conversation. Was the thought of this possible fiasco turning her on?

"Do you … _want_ to do this?" he asked, swallowing after asking the question.

"…Yes."

_Hallelujah._ "…Why?"

"I think House is right," she admitted with a shrug. "I think I need to spend time with both of you and decide which of you is right for me." She smiled slightly. "I need to experiment with it a bit. But I don't want to do that if you're against it."

"And if House is against it?"

"House suggested it."

"Ah." _Ah, God. House might just be my new best friend._ "Cameron, maybe this isn't such a good idea." _Damn my noble side. All to hell._ "I mean … if someone gets too attached, it could end badly."

"I know," she said quietly. "But I'm getting the opportunity here to really decide which man is right for me. I … don't know that I want to pass that up."

_And I don't want you to pass it up, but if you get hurt… If I get hurt… If he gets hurt…_ "The possible repercussions…"

"I know them, Chase. I know what they are and I'm willing to risk them." She finally looked up at him, pinning him with her stunning green eyes. "Are you? If you aren't, we don't have to do this. I don't like playing games…"

"It's not a game," he said simply. "All three of us know what could happen in this situation. It's more of a tight-rope walk."

Cameron smirked, and Chase gulped. "Feeling risky?"

Risky? He was feeling overwhelmed. Did Cameron want to have sex with him? Now? Later? At all? Was she high? No … no her eyes were clear. She wasn't high this time. She was in her right mind and she was sitting here, on his couch, holding his hand and tracing patterns on it with her nails. And she was telling him, plain, that she wanted to choose between him and House.

"How risky are we talking?" he asked hesitantly.

"Not too risky…" she answered softly, bringing his hand to her lips and pressing a soft, sweet kiss to each of his fingertips.

"Cameron…"

"Allison," she responded with a smile.

"Allison," he whispered. "Are you sure…?"

"I'm so sure it's frightening," she assured him, letting go of his hand and scooting just a bit closer, her hands going to work on his tie to get it off of his neck. "You're so attractive, Chase. And you've got that cute accent…"

He let out a laugh of disbelief. Was Cameron here, in his living room, on his couch, taking off his tie and possibly trying to seduce him? She really wouldn't have to try all that hard. Probably knew it, too. He found it funny that he'd considered returning to the priesthood not three days ago.

"There have to be rules," Cameron said, interrupting Chase's thoughts.

"Rules?"

"Rules. You can't ask about House," she stated firmly. "You can't ask about how things are going with him because that really wouldn't be fair. No bragging to him about how things are going with us. No telling Foreman."

"That's fair." He wasn't planning on telling Foreman, anyway. Though he _did_ sort of want to brag to House… Oh, well. He'd live. He grinned at Cameron and took hold of her hand, kissing her palm hesitantly. "I do have to ask, though… How does it feel knowing you're going to be able to be with two men at once for a while?"

She laughed breathlessly and took hold of his shirt, pulling him closer. "Exhilarating." She hesitated before brushing a soft kiss over his lips. "Are you going to get jealous?"

"Yes," Chase answered honestly. "But I'm going to keep it under control. This is an important decision for you to make." _A very important decision._

"It is," she murmured, cupping his face in her hands and kissing him slowly, sweetly.

Chase cradled Cameron's neck and deepened the kiss almost hesitantly, knowing full well that things were going to be different this time. This was Cameron. _This_ was. Not the dominant female that he'd encountered when she'd been high. _Cameron_. He didn't quite know what to do… Did he tread lightly, did he decide what was going to happen or was she going to? How was this going to work?

All of his thoughts stopped when Cameron changed the angle of the kiss and worked her way into his lap. She wasn't straddling him, choosing instead to sit across his lap and wrap her arms around his neck to kiss him. His hands rested on her waist and he returned her kiss leisurely; this was definitely different from drugged-Cameron, and he was very, very happy for that.

He pulled away from her and gave her a shy smile. "We don't have to do anything right now, you know."

"I know," she said, giving him an impish look. "I wanted to kiss you sober," she joked.

He laughed uncomfortably and she nudged him, staying on his lap and cuddling into his chest. "Thank you for doing this," she said quietly.

_How could I not?_ he thought, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin lightly on her head.

---

That evening, Cameron had taken her things to the hotel that she'd spoken of earlier. Chase had offered to let her stay with him until her parents got back, but she'd told him no. She didn't want to spend more time with either him or House; she wanted this to be as fair as humanly possible.

He'd frowned and stayed silent about the whole thing. This, he knew, was how things were going to be for a while. And he may not like it one bit, but it wasn't going to change until Cameron had made her decision; he just prayed that he'd be the one she decided on.

When he'd returned home, he'd realized that his apartment was in desperate need of food. He sighed, realized he'd have to go grocery shopping soon, and decided to go out for dinner. He passed a small diner and glanced inside, shocked to see Cameron sitting with House. Damn it all… He'd known that he'd get jealous, but this was nearly unbearable. He stalked away from the diner and tried to clear his mind.

---

Work on Friday delivered the biggest shock to Chase's system. House had told him to check on the new patient with Foreman and that Cameron would be running blood work in the lab. Chase had wanted to ask her to lunch, so he made his way down to the lab. He stopped cold at what he saw.

House was in the lab with Cameron, leaning close to her and talking to her about something by whispering it in her ear. Who knew what the hell he was saying? What mattered was that his hand was resting on her hip and she was blushing profusely, a small, silly grin on her face. House must've noticed his audience, because he pressed a kiss to Cameron's neck before pulling away from her and walking to the other side of the lab.

Chase turned around and went back to diagnostics. He'd promised not to ask Cameron about what was going on with House… He'd never promised not to ask House. So he waited in the man's office for him to come back and wasn't disappointed when House returned in ten minutes and smirked at him.

"Hope you enjoyed the show," he said snidely.

Chase frowned. "I want to know how far you've gone with her."

House smirked and sat down in his chair, propping a leg up on the table. "She made me promise not to brag, so no can do."

"You can't play with her like this!"

"Who's playing with her?" House asked coolly, tossing his tennis ball up in the air and catching it, making a smooth rhythm out of it. "She's playing with both of us, if I recall."

"Don't you have a problem with this?"

"Nope. Because in the end, I know that I'll get her. Let her fool around with you for a little bit… It isn't like it's going to last. And when it's over, I can fire your ass." He sounded so self-assured, and it annoyed the shit out of Chase.

"You're not going to fire me."

"No… But I _will_ make your life hell."

"You're wrong," Chase said sternly, leaving the office. And House _was_ wrong… He couldn't make Chase's life any more of a hell than it already was.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** La-de-da... Still not mine...

**Author's Note:** This is it, kids! I know this chapter is pretty short, but I like how it turned out. I hope you've enjoyed the story and thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Chapter Six**

Monday brought an annoying realization upon Chase. House had been right when he'd accused Chase of wanting to go to the seminary to escape the feelings he had for Cameron. And Chase hated it when House was right.

So on their next date, Chase sat down and talked with Cameron about his real reasons for returning, prepared to have her smack him or something. What he got was completely opposite.

"You wanted to go back to get away from me?" Cameron asked quietly. "But why?"

Chase sighed and frowned. "I don't know, honestly. It seemed like a good idea at the time," he mumbled.

Cameron smiled gently and pat his knee. "Chase, you should know better than to try and run from your problems. The best thing to do is face them, isn't it?"

"You'd think that," he muttered. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"You weren't thinking," she responded with a laugh. "But that's okay… Sometimes, you just don't think about decisions like that."

"I feel a bit stupid about it now," he admitted sheepishly.

"Don't," Cameron said softly, brushing a kiss over his lips. "I think it's … kind of cute, actually. That you told me, I mean."

"I know I promised not to ask about House…"

"Chase…"

"I just need to know if he's making you happy," Chase said quietly.

Cameron smiled gently. "Not quite so happy as you've been making me," she admitted.

---

It was a week and a half later that Chase heard pounding on his apartment door around ten in the evening. He frowned and answered, surprised to see Cameron. She was supposed to be with House tonight, wasn't she? "Cameron?"

"I can't do this anymore," she said frankly, stepping into Chase's apartment without being invited.

Chase closed the door and a small frown graced his features. "This was your decision…"

"I know. I can't. I can't do this anymore." She shrugged out of her light jacket and tossed it on over a convenient chair.

"You're supposed to be with House tonight…"

"Don't you understand?" she asked with a small laugh. "I'm done playing this game. I can't do it. I won't let myself do it. I'm _here_, not with House. I want to be here. With you."

"Me…" he repeated dumbly, staring at her. "Me?"

"You," she replied with a happy smile. "I don't need to play around with you two to know who I want to be with. I thought I'd have to… I didn't." She crossed to him and played with a button on his shirt. "I'm sorry I put you through all of this."

He wasn't. Well, he had been. But he certainly wasn't sorry now. "I'll blame House," he promised.

She laughed and brushed a kiss over his lips. "Thank you for your patience. You're not… Were you still going to go back home?"

"Not anymore," he blurted, blushing soon after. "I mean…"

"Don't explain," she replied with a grin. "I kind of like the answer as it is. I've been an idiot."

"I'm not going to agree," he said simply. "Because I don't want to get hit." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, smiling down at her. "You still staying with your parents?"

She nodded. "My apartment will be ready in another three weeks. I don't know how much longer I can stand my parents' house," she laughed.

"Come stay with me," he insisted. "I've got plenty of room. I wouldn't mind having you around."

"I may take you up on that." She snuggled into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I can't believe I've done this. It was so stupid."

Chase laughed. "It wasn't stupid. Theoretically, it was a perfect solution."

"Theoretically, communism works," Cameron replied pointedly.

Chase grinned and rested his chin on Cameron's head. This was the way it should be. He didn't fear the repercussions of being with Cameron; not one bit. What was House going to do? Yell at him? That was fine with him. It was Cameron he was worried about. "How is House going to take this?"

"I've already told him," she said softly. "He wasn't happy about it… But I doubt he's going to do anything about it. I regret that I've hurt him, though."

"I don't think you hurt him," Chase murmured, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "He wasn't in this to love you, Cameron. He just wanted to prove a point."

"He always wants to prove a point."

"You proved him wrong."

Cameron smiled. "I did, didn't I?"

"Definitely."

She turned her face up and pulled him down for a slow, leisurely kiss. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime," he answered with a smile.


End file.
